Responsiveness

Digit hair tourniquets are relatively uncommon. There are reports in the literature of hair tourniquets involving other appendages, such as the penis and uvula, however the phenomenon is not widely recognised and is often overlooked by healthcare professionals. This article discusses two case studies in which hair was responsible for creating a tourniquet around a digit. The article explores possible causes and management options for patients, with reference to the case studies. Midwives and health visitors are central to minimising the risk of injury to children as they can educate expectant mothers about this potential problem...

BACKGROUND: The widespread use of wireless devices during the last decades is raising concerns about adverse health effects of the radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) emitted from these devices. Recent research is focusing on unraveling the underlying mechanisms of RF-EMR and potential cellular targets. The "omics" high-throughput approaches are powerful tools to investigate the global effects of RF-EMR on cellular physiology. METHODS: In this work, C57BL/6 adult male mice were whole-body exposed (nE xp = 8) for 2 hr to GSM 1800 MHz mobile phone radiation at an average electric field intensity range of 4...

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have shown that the organism's nutritional status changes the protein levels of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) in a tissue-specific manner. Although the mechanisms underlying the regulation of IRS-1 in the nutrient-rich conditions associated with diabetes and insulin resistance have been well studied, those under nutrient-poor conditions remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate how IRS-1 protein levels change depending on the nutritional status of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes...

Interstitial cystitis is a syndrome characterized by detrusor overactivity and chronic inflammation of the bladder. The mechanisms responsible for the altered smooth muscle contractility remain poorly understood. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of intracellular signalling pathways in carbachol-induced detrusor contraction in a rat model of interstitial cystitis. Cyclophosphamide (150 mg/kg, dissolved in saline) was injected to rats (Sprague-Dawley, female, 200-250 g) intraperitoneally once a day on days 1, 4 and 7 to induce interstitial cystitis...

The majority of theranostic prodrugs reported so far relay information through a fluorogenic response generated upon release of the active chemotherapeutic agent. A chemiluminescence detection mode offers significant advantages over fluorescence, mainly due to the superior signal-to-noise ratio of chemiluminescence. Here we report the design and synthesis of the first theranostic prodrug monitored by a chemiluminescence diagnostic mode. As a representative model we prepared a prodrug from the chemotherapeutic monomethyl auristatin E designed for activation by β-galactosidase...

Ocotea catharinensis (Lauraceae) is an endangered tree species from the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest. Currently, little is known about the reproductive ecology of this species. Aiming to propose conservation measures, we described aspects related to phenology, floral biology, pollination, seed dispersal, and mating system of O. catharinensis. We conducted phenological observations in 62 individuals for two years. In one reproductive event, we evaluated nectar production, stigmatic receptivity, and pollen viability...

Two series of isostructural lanthanide coordination complexes, namely, LIFM-42(Ln), Ln = Eu, Tb, Gd, and LIFM-43(Ln), Ln = Er, Yb) were synthesized through the self-assembly of an ESIPT (excited-state intramolecular proton transfer) ligand, H2hpi2cf (5-(2-(5-fluoro-2-hydroxyphenyl)-4,5-bis(4-fluorophenyl)-1H-imidazol-1-yl)isophthalic acid) with different lanthanide ions. In the coordination structures linked by the ligands and oxo-bridged LnIII2 clusters (for LIFM-42(Ln) series) or isolated LnIII ions (for LIFM-43(Ln) series), the ESIPT ligand can serve as both the host and antenna for protecting and sensitizing the photoluminescence (PL) of LnIII ions...

Drought stress is an important consideration for wildlife in arid and semi-arid regions under climate change. Drought can impact plant and animal populations directly, through effects on their physiology, as well as indirectly through effects on vegetation productivity and resource availability, and by creating conditions conducive to secondary disturbance, such as wildfire. We implemented a novel approach to understanding community-level demographic responses of birds and their habitats to these stressors in the context of climate change at 14 study sites in the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States...

Although cancer immunotherapy based on immune checkpoint inhibitors holds great promise toward many types of cancers, several challenges still remain, associated with low objective response of patient rate as well as systemic side effects. Here, a combination immunotherapy strategy is developed based on a thermogelling reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive polypeptide gel for sustained release of anti-programmed cell death-ligand 1 antibody and dextro-1-methyl tryptophan, inhibitor of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase with leveraging the ROS level in the tumor microenvironment...

An automatic method is established for layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of biomimetic coatings in cell culture microplates using a commercial liquid-handling robot. Highly homogeneous thin films are formed at the bottom of each microwell. The LbL film-coated microplates are compatible with common cellular assays, using microplate readers and automated microscopes. Cellular adhesion is screened on crosslinked and peptide-functionalized LbL films and stem cell differentiation in response to increasing doses of bone morphogenetic proteins (2, 4, 7, 9)...

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition can adversely affect treatment responses and oncological outcomes in cancer patients. However, among patients with rectal cancer who undergo chemoradiotherapy (CRT), the significance of peri-treatment nutrition assessment as a predictor of treatment response and outcome remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether the Prognostic Nutrition Index (PNI) based on peri-treatment serum can be used as a predictor of treatment response and outcome in patients with rectal cancer who undergo CRT...

BACKGROUND: Complex interactions between environmental and genetic factors influence the risk for developing alcohol use disorder (AUD) in humans. To date, studies of the impact of environment on AUD risk have primarily focused on psychological characteristics or on the effects of developmental exposure to ethanol. We recently observed that modifying levels of the long-chain ω-3 (LC ω-3) fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), alters acute physiological responses to ethanol in C. elegans...

BACKGROUND: Compositional changes of the early life gut microbiota have been implicated in IgE-associated allergic disease but there is lack of longitudinal studies. We examined gut microbiota development from infancy to school age in relation to onset of IgE-associated allergic diseases. At 8 years of age, we also examined the relationship between gut microbiota and T-cell regulation, estimated as responses to polyclonal T-cell activation. METHODS: Stool samples were collected from 93 children at 4, 6 and 13 months, and 8 years of age...

Outbred rodent stocks including Sprague Dawley rats, are known for their genetic diversity and so they are often used to develop animal models of human disease. Although between-colony differences in pharmaco-behavioural studies have been published previously, a direct head-to-head comparison study, whereby all research was performed in the same laboratory by the same experimenter utilising the supraspinal route of drug administration in the same strain of rat, is lacking. Herein, we report our head-to-head comparison study, involving assessment of antinociception, constipation and respiratory depression evoked by single bolus intracerebroventricular (ICV) doses of morphine, buprenorphine, DPDPE and U69,593 using male Sprague Dawley rats sourced from a different breeding colony (BC2) from that (BC1) used by us previously...

Ammonia is recognised as a major pollutant worldwide, originating from natural and anthropogenic sources. Studies have reported that freshwater mussels are amongst the most sensitive taxa to ammonia, but there is a lack of data available on ammonia toxicity for the early life stages of freshwater mussels from tropical regions. This paper reports the modification of a 24-h acute toxicity test protocol for tropical freshwater mussels and application of the test using ammonia. Velesunio spp. from three different sites were used to assess the toxicity of ammonia at a targeted pH of 6...

Under natural conditions, plants are regularly exposed to combinations of stress factors. A common example is the conjunction between nitrogen (N) deficiency and excess light. The combined effect of stress factors is often ignored in studies using controlled conditions, possibly resulting in misleading conclusions. To address this issue, the current study examined the physiological behavior of Arabidopsis thaliana under the effect of varying nitrogen levels and light intensities. The joint influence of low N and excess light had an adverse effect on plant growth, chlorophyll and anthocyanin concentrations, photochemical capacity, and the abundance of proteins involved in carbon assimilation and anti-oxidative metabolism...

INTRODUCTION: Lactate concentration in umbilical cord blood is an important measure of intrapartum anaerobic metabolism. The aim of the study was to compare lactate production of large-for-gestational-age (LGA) fetuses against appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) fetuses during hypoxia, in diabetic and non-diabetic mothers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 17 358 validated paired arterial and venous umbilical cord blood samples taken at birth with a full panel of pH, glucose and lactate were analyzed relative to LGA (n=2789) and AGA (n=14 569)...

BACKGROUND: We developed a hospital-based cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training model focused on the target population (family members of patients with potential risks for cardiac arrest) and compared the outcome of CPR training between target and non-target populations for validity. METHODS: Family members of patients in training were divided into three groups on the basis of patients' diseases, as follows: 1) the cardio-specific (CS) risk group, including family members of patients with cardiac disease at risk of cardiac arrest; 2) the cardiovascular (CV) risk group, including family members of patients with risk factors for cardiovascular disease; and 3) the no-risk group...

For some people with medically refractory epilepsy adjunct treatment with neurostimulation and ketogenic diet can be an option. Vagal nerve stimulation, VNS, consists of chronic intermittent electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve. VNS is effective and well tolerated in adolescents and adults. There is insufficient evidence on the efficacy of deep brain stimulation, DBS, and brain-responsive neurostimulation, RNS. Ketogenic diet is an established treatment in epilepsy with an increased number of indications, especially in neurometabolic diseases, where dietary therapy can completely eliminate epilepsy and improve cognitive and motor development...